Post by Cucuy on Mar 16, 2013 8:46:16 GMT -5
Hi all,
Finally have something to report. First off, the rifle. Savage Hog Hunter in .338 Win Mag. Last fall I grew tired of lugging around a long, heavy rifle, I wanted something a bit more portable and less likely to get caught up in vegetation – think dark timber and thorn scrub. I wanted sights plus a scope with quick release rings. I wanted to keep it relatively light so I strapped a Nikon 2x7 on top, figuring that I wouldn’t be doing much shooting past 200 yds. Total weight is around 9 lbs. and length is 42". Total package was less than $525!
To compensate for the reduction in velocity with the shorter barrel (20"), I wanted something with a little more power. To be honest, I had never fired anything bigger than a hot loaded 7mm Mag and I was a bit concerned, particularly with a light rifle. After pulling the trigger and not noting any new Mayan prophesies being fulfilled I decided that I could work with this caliber. The squishy recoil pad really helps, although it’s still not much fun after 15 shots.
I whipped up some purposeful handloads for this rifle. 225 gr. Nosler Accubonds, seated just off the rifling, overtop of a brass full of Reloader 22, well-aged Remington range brass I bought at a show for $0.03 each, and Winchester large rifle magnum primers. Ugly, ugly, ugly rifle but it shoots 2.25” groups at 200 yds. with this idiot behind the trigger. I’ll bet that someone who knows what he’s doing could easily get sub-MOA groups with this set up. Aside from the performance, the best part of this rifle is any field damage will only make it better looking!
Now the time has come to collect some meat. What does one hunt with a rifle called Hog Hunter… Nilgai, of course! Despite what you read, a .338 Win Mag is not necessary for hogs. I bought this rifle exclusively for nilgai and the occasional elk hunt in the dark stuff. I’ve been watching nilgai for years when doing the snake work and hunted them the past two falls with a muzzleloader, but have never connected. To celebrate a recent promotion at work, I decided to throw some coin into a guided hunt on the King Ranch and drove the hour and change to the Ranch during the predawn hours on Wednesday.
We drove out to a good area and started walking. Saw lots of cows and had several unsuccessful stalks on bulls. Now the story begins, it’s a long one, but probably took less than 20 seconds real time: My guide calls me to the top of a sand dune, probably a good 40-50 feet high. There is a nice bull a good ways away. I decided that this was not the bull for me and the best way to get him to go away was to fire several shots at him (i.e., I missed. Repeatedly.). I'm now laying in the sand, pissed at my incompetence, with an empty rifle. My guide taps me and says "bull". I roll over and see several running towards us about 50 yards away. They apparently were tight against the dune to my right and looped around when I started making noise. He says, "Shoot the first one". I say, "I'm empty" and start fumbling with my ammo carrier. Adrenaline is too high for fine motor movements, so I toss it to him. He pulls out several rounds and hands them to me with the instructions to load them one at a time. I chamber the first and as I’m firing I decide to do a tactical elevational retreat to a more advantageous position (i.e., the sand gave way and I slipped a little). Not conducive to accuracy, to say the least. The nilgai is now heading away from me at a slight angle, not good for a Texas heart shot and not really showing vitals (remember I'm about 50 feet above him). I go for a spine shot and let it fly. He goes over one small dune, and then another, and then does not reappear.
We walk over and he’s laying about 30 yards from where I shot him. My first nilgai! I hit him dead center of his right backstrap. The bullet took out his left lung and ended up in the shoulder meat of the left shoulder. Good bullets and a little help from above saved this hunt for me! The hunt was over by 9am and now the work began. Took us 6 hours to get him out of there and get him disassembled (he’s a big som'bitch). I’ve got to get a bigger freezer to hold all of that meat! That evening my dinner was a big chunk of backstrap and a bunch of Shiners to wash it down. Twas an excellent day!
I’m done babbling. Enjoy the pics!
Shot site (I’m standing next to him and looking back. My misses were in the direction of the camera, and this guy looped around that finger to the right.)
Rifle
Head
Body
Finally have something to report. First off, the rifle. Savage Hog Hunter in .338 Win Mag. Last fall I grew tired of lugging around a long, heavy rifle, I wanted something a bit more portable and less likely to get caught up in vegetation – think dark timber and thorn scrub. I wanted sights plus a scope with quick release rings. I wanted to keep it relatively light so I strapped a Nikon 2x7 on top, figuring that I wouldn’t be doing much shooting past 200 yds. Total weight is around 9 lbs. and length is 42". Total package was less than $525!
To compensate for the reduction in velocity with the shorter barrel (20"), I wanted something with a little more power. To be honest, I had never fired anything bigger than a hot loaded 7mm Mag and I was a bit concerned, particularly with a light rifle. After pulling the trigger and not noting any new Mayan prophesies being fulfilled I decided that I could work with this caliber. The squishy recoil pad really helps, although it’s still not much fun after 15 shots.
I whipped up some purposeful handloads for this rifle. 225 gr. Nosler Accubonds, seated just off the rifling, overtop of a brass full of Reloader 22, well-aged Remington range brass I bought at a show for $0.03 each, and Winchester large rifle magnum primers. Ugly, ugly, ugly rifle but it shoots 2.25” groups at 200 yds. with this idiot behind the trigger. I’ll bet that someone who knows what he’s doing could easily get sub-MOA groups with this set up. Aside from the performance, the best part of this rifle is any field damage will only make it better looking!
Now the time has come to collect some meat. What does one hunt with a rifle called Hog Hunter… Nilgai, of course! Despite what you read, a .338 Win Mag is not necessary for hogs. I bought this rifle exclusively for nilgai and the occasional elk hunt in the dark stuff. I’ve been watching nilgai for years when doing the snake work and hunted them the past two falls with a muzzleloader, but have never connected. To celebrate a recent promotion at work, I decided to throw some coin into a guided hunt on the King Ranch and drove the hour and change to the Ranch during the predawn hours on Wednesday.
We drove out to a good area and started walking. Saw lots of cows and had several unsuccessful stalks on bulls. Now the story begins, it’s a long one, but probably took less than 20 seconds real time: My guide calls me to the top of a sand dune, probably a good 40-50 feet high. There is a nice bull a good ways away. I decided that this was not the bull for me and the best way to get him to go away was to fire several shots at him (i.e., I missed. Repeatedly.). I'm now laying in the sand, pissed at my incompetence, with an empty rifle. My guide taps me and says "bull". I roll over and see several running towards us about 50 yards away. They apparently were tight against the dune to my right and looped around when I started making noise. He says, "Shoot the first one". I say, "I'm empty" and start fumbling with my ammo carrier. Adrenaline is too high for fine motor movements, so I toss it to him. He pulls out several rounds and hands them to me with the instructions to load them one at a time. I chamber the first and as I’m firing I decide to do a tactical elevational retreat to a more advantageous position (i.e., the sand gave way and I slipped a little). Not conducive to accuracy, to say the least. The nilgai is now heading away from me at a slight angle, not good for a Texas heart shot and not really showing vitals (remember I'm about 50 feet above him). I go for a spine shot and let it fly. He goes over one small dune, and then another, and then does not reappear.
We walk over and he’s laying about 30 yards from where I shot him. My first nilgai! I hit him dead center of his right backstrap. The bullet took out his left lung and ended up in the shoulder meat of the left shoulder. Good bullets and a little help from above saved this hunt for me! The hunt was over by 9am and now the work began. Took us 6 hours to get him out of there and get him disassembled (he’s a big som'bitch). I’ve got to get a bigger freezer to hold all of that meat! That evening my dinner was a big chunk of backstrap and a bunch of Shiners to wash it down. Twas an excellent day!
I’m done babbling. Enjoy the pics!
Shot site (I’m standing next to him and looking back. My misses were in the direction of the camera, and this guy looped around that finger to the right.)
Rifle
Head
Body
